Acceleration Lunch 2026: Technology, People, Performance and Growth

What happens when you put business leaders, technology experts, a world-class athlete and a few seriously hot chicken wings in the same room?

You get Acceleration Lunch 2026.

On Friday 23 October, we welcomed South Yorkshire’s business community to Rotherham Golf Club for an afternoon built around four ideas: technology, people, performance and growth.

But the aim was never to spend an afternoon simply talking about technology.

The bigger question was: how can we build better businesses?

Businesses that work smarter. Businesses that are more resilient. Businesses where people can perform at their best. And businesses with the right foundations to grow. That thinking shaped everything from the sessions on business systems and AI to cyber security and our keynote on resilience.

Technology that supports growth, rather than getting in its way

Growth is exciting, but it can also expose the cracks.

A spreadsheet that worked when there were five people might become a headache when there are 50. A manual process that once took minutes can start swallowing hours. Before long, teams can find themselves working around their technology rather than having technology work for them.

That was the starting point for our business systems discussion, exploring what happens when a growing organisation begins to outgrow the systems underneath it.

The conversation covered Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and the role connected business systems can play in creating better visibility and control across a growing organisation.

For businesses experiencing those growing pains, the important question is not necessarily "what new software should we buy?"

It is "where is the friction in our business, and what needs to change?"

Making AI and automation genuinely useful

Of course, you can’t talk about the future of business technology in 2026 without talking about AI.

But our session took a deliberately practical approach.

One of the key lessons shared from IT Desk’s own AI journey was simple: start with the problem, not the technology. Giving people access to AI does not automatically create a better process or a more productive business.

A useful way of thinking about it is to separate AI from automation.

AI can help with the thinking, such as analysing information, spotting patterns, summarising content and drafting responses. Automation handles repeatable actions and defined processes. Used together, they can reduce unnecessary administration and make everyday workflows easier. Human judgement still matters, particularly when AI-generated outputs influence important decisions.

So rather than asking:

"Where can we put AI?"

Try asking:

"What's slowing our people down?"

Sometimes AI will be the answer. Sometimes straightforward automation or a better process will do the job perfectly well.

Cyber security is a business conversation

With smarter, more connected technology comes another unavoidable conversation: how do we protect it?

The cyber session brought the discussion back to people, risk and resilience.

One point stood out in particular: buying security technology and actually being secure are not the same thing.

In Bryn Hawkins’ session, the focus extended beyond individual cyber security products to identity, email, Microsoft 365, people and organisational resilience. Cyber security is increasingly a leadership and operational resilience issue, not simply something to leave with the IT department.

And, because this was Acceleration Lunch, we couldn't make the whole thing sensible.

There was also a pineapple, a panel discussion and the Beyond the Firewall Hot Wing Challenge. 🌶️

We'll let those who were brave enough to take part decide whether their taste buds have fully recovered.

A lesson in resilience from Derek Redmond

Technology can transform the way a company operates, but ultimately businesses are powered by people.

That's why one of the highlights of the afternoon was welcoming World Champion and Olympian Derek Redmond to the stage.

His contribution brought the themes of the day back to resilience, performance and the people around us. The public event recap describes his story of determination and never giving up as a highlight of the afternoon.

It was also an important reminder that even with the best systems, technology and plans in place, things will not always go the way we expect.

How we respond matters.

More than a technology event

From business systems, AI and automation to cyber security and high performance, there was plenty to take in.

But Acceleration Lunch was designed to be about more than sitting through presentations.

It was about conversations.

The formal programme was followed by Cyber & Spirits, drinks and networking, giving guests the opportunity to meet other local businesses, continue conversations with speakers and spend time with the IT Desk team.

That relaxed, conversation-led approach is important to us. IT Desk describes its wider events programme as an opportunity to bring people together through expert-led sessions as well as more informal experiences.

So, what will you do differently?

One of the final questions of the afternoon was perhaps the most important:

What will you do differently on Monday?

An event is only useful if something happens afterwards.

Maybe it is finding the repetitive task that quietly wastes hours every month.

Maybe it is reviewing whether the systems your business started with still fit the business you've become.

Maybe it is asking harder questions about cyber security.

Or perhaps it is simply starting a conversation about where technology could make work easier for your people.

We don't believe every business challenge needs another piece of technology. We do believe that the right technology, properly planned and managed, can remove friction and give businesses stronger foundations for what comes next.

Thank you for being part of Acceleration Lunch 2026

Most importantly, thank you.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared ideas, asked questions and made the afternoon what it was.

A huge thank you also goes to all of the speakers, partners, sponsors and people behind the scenes who helped bring the event together. The event programme included support from Taylor Emmet, Torq Traction, Microsoft, Inforcer, Check Point and Optimise Cyber Solutions across different parts of the day.

IT Desk’s official recap also gives special thanks to Derek Redmond, Pax8 and the wider group of speakers and partners who contributed to the event.

And yes, we're already looking ahead.

Acceleration Lunch will be back.

If you'd like to be among the first to hear about Acceleration Lunch 2027 and our other upcoming events, register your interest with IT Desk.

Until then, take one idea from the day and do something with it.

Because acceleration isn't really about moving faster for the sake of it.

It's about making sure you're heading in the right direction.